How AI Is Transforming Game Development and Player Experiences

It seems like not a day goes by when we don’t hear something new about artificial intelligence (AI). The conversation usually focuses on developments involving AI chatbots like ChatGPT or how the technology will be incorporated into the latest Samsung phone to help us perfect our picture-taking abilities. However, we rarely hear about other AI use cases, at least not in the mainstream media. 

You might not know it, but AI has made significant inroads into the gaming industry, helping developers create better games and improving your gameplay experience. Developers are using AI to generate the massive game worlds we explore when we play titles like No Man’s Sky and Minecraft, and bring us personalized gaming experiences. In this article, we look at how AI is being used in game development to improve everything about the games we play. 

Enhancing Player Experiences with AI

Online casinos are taking advantage of AI to improve player experiences. AI algorithms have given these virtual platforms the ability to analyze player behavior and make predictions about the types of games they might enjoy. For example, if someone visits an online casino and plays several themed slots, the AI algorithm will conclude that this is a genre they enjoy and recommend similar titles. 

It might also recommend a tutorial about RTP or return to player so that the gamer can learn more about how the money a person wagers on a casino game is paid back over time. For example, a game with a 96% RTP will return an average of $96 for every $100 wagered. AI also plays a big role in customer service on these platforms, with AI-powered chatbots helping out players 24/7 in real time. These chatbots can handle everything from questions about deposits to game rules. Given AI’s ability to analyze a customer’s past behavior, chatbots can also troubleshoot more effectively, ensuring gamers have the best experience possible. 

RPGs like The Witcher and Skyrim, action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda series, simulation games like Animal Crossing, and open-world titles like Red Dead Redemption have one thing in common — they all use non-player characters (NPCs) to interact with players and move the game’s narrative along. Once upon a time, these characters followed scripted dialogue and predictable narratives, but AI has changed all of that. AI-powered NPCs evolve as a game progresses, interacting more realistically with gamers and adapting to the decisions they make. 

AI also plays an important role in keeping games playable for a range of players. If a game’s AI detects a player is struggling, it can adapt the gameplay and modify the difficulty level to make it more manageable. That way, players never get bogged down to the extent that they consider giving up on a game altogether. The same is true if AI detects a game isn’t challenging enough for a player; it can ramp up the difficulty level to keep the player engaged and entertained. 

AI and Social Connectivity in Games

If you’ve played a multiplayer title recently, you’ve experienced some of the ways AI improves the gaming experience. For example, these games use AI as a matchmaking tool to pair you with gamers at your skill level, creating more balanced and enjoyable gaming sessions. This matchmaking is especially useful in competitive gaming because it ensures matches are fair and that all players have a positive experience. 

Besides matchmaking, AI bots are increasingly being used to moderate online communities. These bots can detect all types of behavior and erase comments that aren’t up to a community’s standards. This type of moderation benefits everyone and keeps these communities positive and focused. 

In a few years, we’ll likely see AI being used to create self-learning games that change the more players interact with them, taking personalization to an entirely new level. These are conversations that many gamers are already having in gaming communities across the globe.